Dirty Water

Newsletter Volume 2
November 2009

The press has been filled with alarming articles about “Dirty Water” in Florida.  The  technology used for water purification in SLW is Reverse Osmosis. This is a modern technology that delivers superior drinking water quality. Many of the concerns for “Dirty Water” come from pollution and contaminants that find their way into “surficial wells”. In the past, gasoline tanks have leaked, cleaners have introduced chemicals into the sewer treatment facilities and people have flushed old pharmaceuticals down the toilet. These practices have resulted in pollutants in the surficial wells that are problematic. The good news in SLW is that we take our water from the Floridan Aquifer which is approximately 900 feet below ground level. This aquifer is  not susceptible to the chemicals that would cause a concern for “Dirty Water”.
Before Calling a Plumber
If you have a question or doubt as to whether a drinking water or sewage problem is District related, please call us 1st so that we can come out and help you to assess the problem. If the problem is the responsibility of the District, we will endeavor to resolve it as quickly as possible. If the problem belongs to the home owner or the HOA, we will advise you so that the responsible party can contact a plumber. The District will not reimburse you for unnecessary plumbing expenses. Our phone, 772-340-0220, is answered 24 hours a day every day of the year. We always have staff on call to serve the needs of the District.
Florida Locates and Leak Repairs
When a leak is reported to the District, we dispatch our Underground Repair Staff to assess it. If the leak can obviously be fixed by hand shoveling, the repair action will begin immediately. In  the event that the leak is in an area that has other utility services or if power equipment is needed, we call The Florida Sunshine State One Call for a Locate. They are required to respond within 2 business days to identify the locations of power, gas, telephone, cable and any other utilities as appropriate. This process may extend the time from leak reporting to repair to as long as 4 business days. Please be patient, we are not ignoring you.
Water Treatment Plant Odor Control Project
More often than not, there is a ‘rotten egg’ smell coming from the water treatment plant. We just signed a contract for what we would call ‘super maintenance’ which will involve contract cleaning, maintenance and introduction of chemicals into the scrubber degassifier equipment. At the end of 90 days, we will be able to determine whether new chemicals and/or enhanced maintenance will allow the plant to run with the current equipment or if another scrubber degassifier is required to eliminate the odors. This determination should be made by the end of January. If necessary, we will implement one of the 4 designs that have been coordinated by our engineering company.

Work Orders
If you are calling for service, please record the name of the District employee that you have spoken to, and ask for and record a work order number. This will allow us to do a better job of tracking your service call and provide for better communications if/when follow up is required.
Easements
An easement is a legal arrangement that allows for access and use of property owned by another party. By its nature, plantings and other features within an easement may either disrupt access to and/or damage utility features. Please insure that easements are maintained in a  fashion that allows for unencumbered access and do not have plantings or other features that do damage to the underlying utility.
Simple District Overview Charts
The business of the Services District is very complex. In an attempt to make it easy to understand and delineate the responsibilities between the District, Home Owners or Commercial Owners, we have placed a set of drawings on our web site at www.slwsd.org. Please take a look  at them and let us know if you have any questions or recommendations regarding our diagrams.
When is a Lake a Lake?
Almost never in SLW. “Lakes” in SLW are really “Retention Ponds” and were designed and planted for flood control and storm water treatment prior to release into the St. Lucie Estuary. Plantings (sometimes referred to by customers as ‘weeds’) have been selected that filter out environmental contaminants such as pesticides, fertilizers and roadway petroleum products. They were not selected for their aesthetic value. We at the District do our best to maintain the “Lakes” in an eye pleasing manner. Please be patient as sometimes mother nature plays tricks on us and at seasonal peaks makes our job very difficult.
Irrigation
Irrigation schedules are Monday 9:00am to Friday 9:30am. Exceptions would be; when District maintenance is required, excessive rain as occurred, or restrictions have been imposed.
Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Finance Reporting
We received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Finance Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

As we approach the season of the year in which we celebrate the holidays, please accept the Best Wishes from the District Staff and Board of Supervisors for Peace, Joy, Good Health and Prosperity!
St. Lucie West Services District